All Entries in the "Business Development" Category
How to Research a Niche Market
The following information on how to research a niche market is an excerpt from the book: Own Your Niche: Hype-Free Internet Marketing Tactics to Establish Authority in Your Field and Promote Your Service-Based Business. * * * Before you settle on a niche, it’s important to investigate the demand within that niche, the opportunities and [...]
How to Build a Business that Runs Without You: Part 2
In yesterday’s post I shared my journey of opening a bookstore and putting the business on auto-pilot. After I sold the store, I found myself running a freelance marketing business. I wrote articles for trade publications, wrote copy for websites and marketing collateral, continued writing books, managing BusinessInfoGuide.com, and also worked as a professional speaker. [...]
How to Build a Business that Runs Without You: Part 1
My first business was a 2800 square-foot bookstore in Sacramento, California. I had quit my Silicon Valley job to open the store and about six weeks after the Open sign was lit, I thought I had made a big mistake. I hated running a retail business. I resented the hours involved, the demands on my [...]
15 Sources for Small Business Funding – Loans, Grants, Angel Investors, Venture Capital
Small business lending in August was up 19% over the same time last year, the highest increase since April 2008, according to Reuters. Many believe this is a positive sign for the economy that will lead to job growth. If your small business is seeking a loan, grant, angel investor, or venture capital, here’s a [...]
How Accepting Credit Cards Can Increase Your Profits
Recently I spoke with a business consultant who mentioned that she did not accept credit cards from clients. When I asked why, she said, “I don’t want to give up a percentage of the transaction.” I can say that without a doubt that my publishing business (Authority Publishing) has landed clients we wouldn’t have otherwise [...]
How to Write a Business Services Proposal
When pursuing a service contract with a corporation, government entity or other type of business, providing a written proposal is a standard practice that allows you to address specific needs or problems. While you may be used to providing a simple quote for services, a formal proposal includes more detail and may also outline a [...]
How to Know When it’s Time to Hire Help for Your Business (Even if You Think You Can’t Afford it)
There comes a time in every small business when it makes sense to hire staff to help with the workload. Hiring allows you to let go of tasks that you don’t enjoy and gives you time to focus on what you do best. It can be essential for growing your business to the next level. [...]
How to Create an Accountability Partnership So You Get More Stuff Done!
The subject of accountability keeps coming up so I thought it was time to address it. As entrepreneurs we are often lone rangers operating without a trusty sidekick (Tonto). Yet there can be tremendous power in having an accountability partner—someone who supports you in accomplishing goals large and small. This is often why entrepreneurs hire [...]
Choosing a Niche for Your Business: Part Two
In Part One of this series, we discussed the importance of establishing a niche. Here we will discuss how to identify your niche and then make the transition to serving that target audience. If you’re a selling to businesses (B2), it will likely be a matter of targeting a specific industry or people within a [...]
Choosing a Niche for Your Business: Part One
I see a lot of business owners throwing spaghetti at the walls to see what sticks. Their marketing tactics lack focus, and so they try a little of everything and get frustrated when they don’t get the results they expect. This is one of the reasons why so many entrepreneurs loathe marketing. Though marketing does [...]
